1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a receptacle cover for preventing loss of trays along with the trash on the tray.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Trash receiving receptacles, whether formed of metal or plastic usually have a cover for enclosing the trash and objects cast into the container. In a very early form of a receptacle adapted to receive and enclose furnace ash was disclosed in Bauer U.S. Pat. No. 1,160,820 of Nov. 16, 1915, the ash receiving container is placed inside an enclosing structure which keep down dust and hides the container. Access to the container is provided by a movable door that is caused to swing inwardly when ash is to be deposited in the container. The ash is intended to be directed into the container by a funnel structure having slanting surfaces which terminate at a central opening aligned with but spaced above the container. The enclosing structure retains dust that is stirred up when ashes are shoveled through the door and dumped on the funnel structure.
Another example of prior art is the Olsson U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,774 of June 11, 1974 which has disclosed a sloped down retainer cover for a trash or waste container in which the sloped surface has yieldable folds which are expandable so that waste can flex the surface and enter the container through a bottom opening that expands as the folds expands. The Olsson retainer device has a function to allow an increase the size of the bottom opening to pass waste and then decrease the size of the opening to prevent waste escaping from the container.
A further example from the prior are in the Netherlands Patent 8402344 of Verhoog which is a self-extinguishing refuse container that exhibits a special function of extinguishing a fire by collecting smoke to exclude air that would feed a fire.
The problem which the prior art has not addressed is the lack of provision in the trash container art to supply the usual trash receiving container with a cover that will allow the trash to pass into the container while arresting the passage of the tray which is used to deliver such trash. This problem is one that the fast food concerns have faced for a long time without finding a solution. If trays are carelessly allowed to pass into the trash containers it is highly likely that no one will retrieve the tray. Since trays supplied by the fast food concerns are expensive, the loss of trays can add up to a substantial loss and a drain on profits. There is the further problem that trays are not retrieved due to the unsanitary handling of food and related objects that are germ carriers and discourage retrieval by employees or the public.